Liam Adams denies charges

Liam Adams, the brother of Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams, has denied charges of sexual abuse following his arrest today in Dublin.

He was arrested by garda police on foot of a European arrest warrant relating to 18 charges of sexual abuse in the North dating from the 1970s and 1980s.

Mr Adams said he had read about the details in the newspapers, adding: “I just want to say I am not guilty of that. I will be pleading not guilty”.

Mr Adams also intends to contest his extradition to Belfast. Giving evidence before the court he said he had left the Six Counties following what he termed “disgraceful” media coverage last year of him and his family. The coverage, he said, had put his children “in danger”.

“The media have treated my family in a disgraceful way, disgraceful. And I’m letting them know that.”

He said he would “love to go home” to Belfast but believed he would not get a fair trial in the North.

Mr Adams had been brought before the High Court in Dublin in connection with the extradition bid. He has been remanded in custody with consent to bail. He will appear again in court in Dublin next week.

The 18 alleged offences, including rape, took place between March 1977 and March 1983. and relate to complaints made to the RUC (and later the PSNI) by his daughter Aine Tyrell.

Mr Adams presented himself to gardai at the Bridewell Garda station in Dublin’s north inner city today. He was then taken across to the High Court for an extradition sitting before being granted bail.

He will appear before the courts next Wednesday.

Urgent Appeal